water beading...

[wannafbody]

why is it some still cling to the notion that small water beads equal protection? Sure Collinite 845 or S100 produce those nice little beads right after application, but what about the coat of #26 i put on the Camaro last week-the beads are pretty good sized-surely there must be no wax on the surface -Forrest from Mothers has stated before that resin based products like the old Reflections protect for months after the beading stops. Last summer i put some FastWax (areosol wax) on our aluminum trailer. In spots it left a hazy film that is still there-if it doesn`t bead water does it mean the wax is gone? i can see with my eyes that the wax film is still present. IMO the one secret the wax manufacturers don`t really want us to know(but NuFinish might have left out of the bag) is just how long some of these synthetics really last. Will the mystery ever be solved?

[togwt]

Durability:

[: Able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration] If your goal is maximum protection, don`t use water beading as an indicator; while its true that it is a visual indicator that a wax / sealant previously applied is still present it does not guarantee that its actually providing protection.



a) Water beading- although you cannot equate a products beading ability to protection and durability, if an applied product continues to `bead` water, one wash after another, then that would prove that whatever it is that is causing high surface tension is not washing off.



b) Water bead definition- convex beads that have a small, tight symmetrical shape.



c)Indications that the products durability may be diminishing- when the water beads become noticeably larger in diameter with a flat, concave or an irregular shape usually indicates that the surface tension of the wax or sealant is diminishing. Or when dust, dirt or bug residue becomes more difficult to wipe off with a quick detailing spray are indications that its time to renew the protection



d) Slickness- slide a micro fibre towel across a horizontal surface to see how much resistance there is, if there has been a significant reduction from what you experienced previously the durability is probably diminishing

JonM

[wannafbody]

good post- but what about products that tend to sheet water?

[togwt]

Originally posted by wannafbody

good post- but what about products that tend to sheet water?

Thank you, see d)



d) Slickness- slide a micro fibre towel across a horizontal surface to see how much resistance there is, if there has been a significant reduction from what you experienced previously the durability is probably diminishing

JonM

[termigator]

What if a panel (e.g. the hood) pools water like a great big sheet? Should we assume the wax/sealant is done protecting or do we trust manufacturers statements that there is still protection? All things being equal, I think I`ll just rewax.

[wannafbody]

i think a rewax is safest but IMO the surface is probably protected longer than we think- someone with a microscope might be able to discern wether something is actually present on the surface

[opass]

Originally posted by TOGWT

Durability:

[: Able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration] If your goal is maximum protection, don`t use water beading as an indicator; while its true that it is a visual indicator that a wax / sealant previously applied is still present it does not guarantee that its actually providing protection.



a) Water beading- although you cannot equate a products beading ability to protection and durability, if an applied product continues to `bead` water, one wash after another, then that would prove that whatever it is that is causing high surface tension is not washing off.



b) Water bead definition- convex beads that have a small, tight symmetrical shape.



c)Indications that the products durability may be diminishing- when the water beads become noticeably larger in diameter with a flat, concave or an irregular shape usually indicates that the surface tension of the wax or sealant is diminishing. Or when dust, dirt or bug residue becomes more difficult to wipe off with a quick detailing spray are indications that its time to renew the protection



d) Slickness- slide a micro fibre towel across a horizontal surface to see how much resistance there is, if there has been a significant reduction from what you experienced previously the durability is probably diminishing

JonM

:xyxthumbs Great tips.

[NPG]

Thanks for the info TOGWT. I was wondering the same question as wannafbody.

[ZaneO]

wannafbody - If a product sheets water when do YOU know it`s gone? If a product beads water when do YOU know it`s gone?



Why are you on such a mission lately?

[wannafbody]

theoretically if a product sheets isn`t there less chance of environmental contaminates etching the paint? IMO sheeting isn`t a bad thing-IMO the wax manufacturers giving a range for product life would be nice

[White95Max]

Originally posted by wannafbody

theoretically if a product sheets isn`t there less chance of environmental contaminates etching the paint? IMO sheeting isn`t a bad thing-IMO the wax manufacturers giving a range for product life would be nice

Well the companies would probably lose a lot of business by stating the product life, since most of the store-bought waxes are lucky to last a couple months. Most people think that they can go to WalMart and get a bottle of Turtle Wax, and it will protect for the whole year.



I don`t think that will ever happen. The companies prefer to say "long-lasting protection" or "durable wax" and let the consumer decide what they meant by that statement.

[ZaneO]

You never answered my questions.

[MattZ28]

^Did I miss something? What did he do? lol



Anyways, I usually just look for slickness, and that dirt/bugs easily wipe off the paint. If neither qualities are present, then I re-wax/seal.

[ZaneO]

So what exactly does beading indicate?

[White95Max]

It indicates that something on the surface is causing high surface tension.